The best tools to develop an eCommerce from scratch

The best CMSs for setting up an eCommerce 

When the decision is made to open an eCommerce, one of the first assessments to be made is the choice of the technological platform that will manage it. This in jargon is called a CMS, Content Management System.

Even those who already own an online shop business and may not be happy with the current CMS can change it at a later date, but beware: it is not such a simple and painless process, in fact it must be followed by professionals in the sector who are immediately clear about all the critical aspects of the operation in hand. 

It is therefore very important to analyse one's needs well from the outset so as not to have any nasty surprises when choosing an eCommerce CMS.

In the virtual world, there are many types of CMS, so it is quite normal to find oneself disoriented when faced with the long lists of PROs and CONs of the most popular software in circulation. Precisely for this reason, over time, we have found ourselves carefully evaluating the most performative eCommerce solutions capable of satisfying our customers' demands. 

We therefore asked ourselves why we should be subjected to CMSs already on the market that for some reason never fully met our needs, and we found the answer in the creation of a proprietary and open source CMS, the so-called RAD Commerce (we talk about it here). 

RAD Commerce is a platform created by WE RAD that allows us to work according to the RAD Strategy Model and to create a participative interconnection with the customer. It is a way of building not only the eCommerce but also the entire online sales strategy, leaving the customers ample freedom to customise. 

But before we talk about that, let's see which are the most popular CMSs available on the market at the moment. 

Far away from everything and everyone, immersed in nature, in a surreal and futuristic reality such as the Garden of Return. A moment exclusively for WE RAD and those who are part of it, where we analysed our workflows to develop strategies to make them more streamlined and functional, such as the communication flowchart. 

Sometimes stopping, getting back on track, can help manage busy times. 

Prestashop 

Prestashop has more than 300,000 active online shops worldwide since 2007. A large number of users due to the ease of use and the good user experience it offers. 

Here too, one of the most disadvantageous aspects is certainly the difficulty in configuration; in fact, just like Magento, it can only be installed and customised by trained IT experts. It is also much less scalable than Magento.

Pros and Cons Prestashop

- Development languages: PHP

- Monthly price: Free, hosting not included. Paid extensions

- Ease of use: Average

- Pros: Inexpensive open source, advanced functions, secure payment system

- Cons: Limited support

WooCommerce 

Ideal solution for those who are comfortable with WordPress. This CMS is perfect for medium/small businesses, it installs and configures quite quickly and you can learn to use it in a few days for an eCommerce with basic functionality.

WooCommerce is one of the most versatile platforms, with the largest and most active online community and a wealth of ready-made extensions and plugins (some excellent, even free). Versatility unfortunately has a cost: it is not the most suitable solution if the eCommerce to be realised has many products, or even if there is a need to work with several languages, in which case it is better to opt for different CMSs.

As one of the most widely used platforms, it is a target for hacker attacks. This is why it is necessary to be careful when it comes to security and to be supported by competent professionals who can develop and protect the eCommerce created with WooCommerce from security holes. 

WooCommerce Pros and Cons

- Development languages: PHP 

- Monthly price: Free, hosting not included. Paid extensions

- Ease of use: Medium/Low

- Pros: Scalability, quick setup, affordable 

- Cons: Not eCommerce-specific, not designed for the European market

Shopify 

Shopify is an all-in-one CMS that is very simple and intuitive and can be managed even by those who are not expert programmers. One of its peculiarities is precisely that it does not have to purchase any server or hosting space, as everything is provided directly by them.

Shopify makes it possible to create an eCommerce that links effectively to all the brand's online marketing activities in a very short time, in addition to many ready-to-use themes and extensions.

Main disadvantages? The high monthly costs and, above all, the reduced freedom of customisation of the eCommerce, a feature that is not insignificant if you want to set up a non-standard online shop that stands out in the digital sea.

The flip side of the coin of a closed platform is that when you run into a problem, it can be difficult to solve it and understand the cause. 

Pros and Cons Shopify

Development languages: Liquid

Monthly price: Fee on sales and monthly cost. Hosting included

Ease of use: Low

Pros: Wide range of templates, clean interface, functional tools

Cons: Does not have Mailchimp integration, not very scalable

How We RAD moves

As you can see, the CMS landscape is quite vast, and these are just some of the most popular eCommerce software. But despite this vast choice, WE RAD could not find an open source CMS that fully satisfied our needs for customisation and efficiency. 

This is why we decided to create a tool that would meet all our needs and, above all, those of our customers. 

Catchword? RadCommece 

RAD Commerce came to the rescue of our appeals. An open source platform designed for those who no longer want to be subjected to the structural limitations of standard, pre-packaged CMSs, without compromising on transparency and freedom of use, thanks to a fully documented, open source code.

RAD Commerce is a modular, fast and secure platform. It represents a turning point for both SMEs and large companies, and allows them not to have to compromise and give up customisation or scalability. 

Alessio Pangos Frontend developer at We RAD claims:

"RAD Commerce is based on Jam Stack logic, a new methodology for developing websites and applications that allows us to optimise performance and create headless solutions, i.e. where the data (the body) is separated from the head (the interface) to ensure not only greater information security but also much higher performance.

RAD Commerce is our modular solution that combines efficiency and user-friendliness. It is a system that meets the needs of omnichannel markets and is fully customisable. A flexible structure that leaves a lot of freedom, but relies on a ready-made and structured base."

RAD Commerce was desired by We RAD to give our customers the opportunity to create something truly unique, functional and efficient at the same time. A product to collaborate together in a shared work where all parties make their contribution to build a complete eCommerce in all respects.